wing lawmakers Wednesday sought the disqualification of former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes from being nominated to represent transport party-list 1-Utak in the May 10 polls. In an eight-page petition, senatorial aspirants Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza said Reyes cannot be considered a member of any marginalized and underrepresented sector as required in a recent resolution by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). “(Reyes) cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be considered a member of the marginalized sector and no logic can ever justify his nomination to represent 1-Utak party-list or any accredietd party-lists for that matter,” the lawmakers said. 1-Utak party-list seeks to represent jeepney drivers, operators, and commuters. Comelec Resolution 8807 requires party-list nominees to “belong” to the marginalized and underrepresented sector, sectoral party, organization, political party, or coalition they seek to represent. It also requires party-list groups to submit documentary evidence to prove that their nominees “truly belong” to the marginalized and underrepresented sector they seek to represent. It added that nominees must be capable of contributing to the “formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a whole.” But Ocampo and Maza said Reyes would not be able to “deliver” or “perform” the causes of the jeepney drivers, operators, and commuters because he is supposedly considered as a “top-level manager” who has had no direct experience over the needs and problems of the sector which he seeks to represent. “Allowing the respondent to be a nominee of 1-Utak Party-list and eventually to serve as its representative once the said party-list gets seat/s in Congress will defeat the purpose of the party-list system,” they said. Reyes is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1966. He was named military chief by former President Joseph Estrada but later led the Armed Forces in withdrawing support from Estrada in January 2001. He was retained by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as military chief and upon his retirement, has been named head of various departments: defense, interior and local government, environment and energy. The first to file a disqualification case against Reyes was transport group Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston), which said Reyes does not protect the interests of drivers and operators and instead protects large oil companies. The group likewise expressed doubts if Reyes has been a member of 1-Utak for the last 90 days before the polls, as required by the law. On Friday, 1-Utak Rep. Vigor Mendoza confirmed that Reyes is the first nominee of the party-list group, which is the reason why the Cabinet official quit his post.
